Chapter 153 CHAPTER 153
Ethan and Liam reached the palace gates just as the familiar vehicle rolled into the courtyard.
The sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the stone walls of Mooncrest in warm gold, but the calm beauty of the evening did little to ease the tightness still coiled in Liam’s chest. His shoulders were stiff, his senses sharper than usual, his mind replaying the scent from the training grounds over and over again. Whatever - or whoever - it had been, it hadn’t belonged there.
The car door opened first on Lisa’s side.
She stepped out gracefully, her posture relaxed, her smile already forming as she spotted them. Isabel followed a heartbeat later, hopping out on her own before the guard could reach her door, her bag slung over one shoulder, her expression bright despite the long day at school.
The moment Lisa’s eyes landed on Liam, her smile faltered.
Just slightly. Just enough.
She stopped walking.
Isabel noticed it immediately and slowed too, glancing between Lisa and the two men approaching them. Ethan and Liam exchanged a brief look, the kind that carried entire conversations without a single word. “Not now,” Ethan warned through the mind link. “We can’t have them worried again.”
Liam nodded almost imperceptibly.
Ethan’s expression shifted instantly.
“There you are,” he said, his voice warm, almost bright. “You’re back early. How was school?”
Isabel grinned. “Exhausting. Lunaris does not believe in mercy.”
Ethan chuckled. “You survived another day. That already counts as a victory.”
He glanced between the two girls, hands clasped behind his back, posture relaxed. Too relaxed.
“Good timing, actually,” he went on. “With you home this early, we can start preparing for tomorrow. Red Valley Park is a bit of a drive, and I’d rather not rush in the morning.”
Isabel’s eyes lit up. “We’re really going?”
“Of course,” Ethan said easily. “Fresh air will do everyone good.”
But Lisa was already moving.
She crossed the small distance between them in quick strides and reached for Liam’s hand, her fingers curling around his instinctively.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
Liam blinked. “Nothing. What do you mean?”
Lisa searched his face, her brows knitting together. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I just… feel it. Something is off.”
Ethan cleared his throat lightly, trying to redirect the moment. “Long day, maybe. Training took longer than expected.”
Her gaze returned to Liam, more intent now. “Is it that bad?”
Liam hesitated, then glanced at Ethan again. Ethan gave a subtle nod encouraging him to pretend that was what was bothering the two of them.
“Yeah,” Liam admitted. “It’s… not going great. I can open the portals, but I can’t hold them. A few seconds, that’s all. When you’re not around, it’s harder. When you are, it’s almost effortless. I don’t understand why.”
Lisa stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his chest. She rubbed slow circles into his back, grounding him in a way that came naturally to her.
“You’ll get there,” she murmured. “You always do.”
But then she pulled back.
Her hands stayed on his arms as she tilted her head slightly, studying him again. Her voice softened, but sharpened at the same time.
“Wait,” she said. “You’re not lying… you’re having trouble with the training but that’s not it. You are hiding something else – something more serious.”
Liam exhaled slowly.
Her eyes flicked from Liam to Ethan. “Spill it. Both of you.”
Ethan didn’t answer right away.
His gaze met Lisa’s first, steady and familiar, the way it always did when things were complicated. Then, slowly, his eyes shifted to Isabel.
They lingered there longer than he meant them to.
Isabel stood a step behind Lisa, quiet for once, her hands loosely clasped in front of her. She looked tired in a way she hadn’t been yesterday. Not the kind of tired sleep fixed, but the kind that came from carrying too much and saying too little.
Ethan felt it tighten in his chest.
She had already asked so much of herself in such a short time. A new school. New rules. A world that reminded her daily that she didn’t quite belong. And still, she laughed, deflected, made herself small so no one else would have to worry.
He didn’t want to add to that.
He didn’t want to be the one who stacked one more fear onto her shoulders when she was already pretending everything was fine.
If this became real to them - if he said it out loud - it wouldn’t just stay his and Liam’s problem anymore.
And that was exactly what scared him.
His silence stretched just a second too long.
Isabel, who had been standing quietly beside them, stiffened.
Her shoulders drew in slightly, and she lifted her head, eyes flicking up to his face.
Isabel, who had been standing quietly beside them, stiffened.
“Wait,” she said suddenly. “Does this have something to do with me?”
Everyone turned toward her.
Her voice wobbled despite her attempt to sound confident. “I knew it. I knew it would cause problems. Those kids at Lunaris - when they started talking about me being human, they must’ve gone home and told their parents. This has to be about that. I’m bringing trouble into the kingdom, making things hard for you, aren’t I?”
“No,” Ethan said immediately, stepping forward. “Absolutely not.”
He reached for her shoulders, gripping them gently but firmly. “This has nothing to do with you.”
Isabel searched his face, unconvinced.
“Are the students giving you a hard time?” Ethan asked suddenly.
His voice was calm, but there was an edge beneath it. “Are they bullying you?”
Before Isabel could answer, he turned to Lisa. “Why haven’t I heard about this? Why did you keep it to yourselves?”
Lisa’s head snapped toward Isabel.
“What?” Her voice sharpened with worry. “I knew people were talking about you being human, but I didn’t know it had gone this far. Isabel, you should have told me. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ethan stepped in again, his tone firm now. “You should have come to me. I could have gone to the school, spoken to the administration, made sure this stopped before it became a problem.”
Isabel folded her arms across her chest, instinctively defensive.
“And then what?” she shot back. “You storm into the school and make it worse?”
They both froze.
“Everyone already thinks I’m there because of palace connections,” she continued, her voice tight but steady. “You showing up like that would just prove them right. I’d go from ‘the human who doesn’t belong’ to ‘the spoiled one who needs the king to fight her battles.’”
She looked between them, eyes flashing. “I’m not letting that happen.”
Her voice dropped. “All they do is talk. That’s all. Nobody says it to my face. Except for one.”
Lisa’s head snapped up. “Except one - who?”
Isabel froze.
She had promised herself she wouldn’t do this. She had sworn, quietly and stubbornly, that she wouldn’t drag Lisa into what had happened at school with Anna. The way it had left her shaking. She had told herself it was small, that she could handle it, that Lisa didn’t need one more thing to worry about.
But the words had slipped out anyway.
“…It’s nothing,” she said quickly.
But the damage was done.
Lisa stepped closer, worry flooding her expression. “Is that why you’ve been having nightmares? Someone has been saying things to your face? What did they say to you? Did they threaten you?”
Isabel threw her hands up. “Time out. Time out.”
She stepped between them, palms raised. “This was supposed to be about Ethan and Liam hiding something from us, not my school drama.”
She pointed at Ethan. “You were very eager to make this about me.”
Then at Liam. “And you.”
She squared her shoulders. “Tell us what’s really going on first. I can handle Lunaris. I promise.”
Liam let out a short breath and glanced around the courtyard, scanning the guards, the walls, the shadows.
Then he lowered his voice. “There was an intruder at the training grounds – but It’s nothing we can’t handle.”
Lisa’s eyes widened.
“What?” Isabel gasped. “Did you catch them?”
Liam shook his head slowly, almost casually. “No. Not yet.” He kept his tone light, controlled. “They ran before we could get close enough.”
Ethan glanced at him, but Liam continued, steady and unfazed. “Whoever it was, they won’t get far. Not for long.”
Isabel’s shoulders tensed. “So they just… got away?”
“For now,” Liam said. Then he added, deliberately, “But this isn’t something you need to worry about. I’m trained for this. I’ve handled worse than a shadow in the trees.” His lips curved faintly. “And I’m not just a commander anymore. I can fight. I can track. And I have magic on my side now. There’s nothing for you girls to worry about.”
He said it like it settled everything.
There was a brief silence.
Then Lisa crossed her arms, her voice calm but unyielding. “Actually,” she said, “it’s us who should be telling you not to worry.”
Both men looked at her.
“You’re both wound far too tight,” she went on. “Like you’re carrying something you don’t want us to see. And that tells me it is a big deal, whether you admit it or not.”
Her eyes flicked between Ethan and Liam. “We’re bound tighter than you think. You don’t get to protect us by shutting us out.”
She looked between them. “We’re a team. No secrets.”
Ethan nodded slowly. “If anything else happens, we’ll tell you.”
Satisfied - for now - Lisa nodded.
Ethan clapped his hands once and gently nudged Isabel toward the palace. “Enough heavy talk. Someone looks like they need snacks as we decide what to do with those bullying jerks.”
Isabel brightened instantly. “Now that I agree with.”
They started walking toward the doors when Isabel suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
Everyone froze.
She raised a finger slowly. “Don’t you realize it?”
Lisa sighed. “Now what?”
Isabel turned between Lisa and Liam, eyes wide with sudden clarity. “Something just happened between the two of you.”
There was a dramatic pause.
“You knew something was wrong,” Isabel continued. “You knew he was lying. How?”
Liam stared at Lisa.
Ethan did too.
Lisa’s lips parted slightly as the realization hit her all at once.
“Are you guys forming a bond?” Ethan finally asked.
The moment hung between them - quiet, charged, undeniable.